1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to electronic devices such as, for example, electronic cameras. More specifically, it relates to an electronic camera which includes a photographic lens, an optical viewfinder and a screen monitor for monitoring an image to be photographed.
2. Description of Related Art
Advancements in liquid crystal display (LCD) technology now permit LCD screens to be used in portable devices such as digital cameras and PDA's (Personal Digital Assistants) which are even usable outdoors. Improved display operability has meant that LCD displays now appear in many common consumer devices. Although the conventional electronic camera is portable, when it is placed on a tabletop for connection to external devices and peripherals, the camera slants, causing difficulty in viewing the screen and difficulty operating the device.
Conventional digital cameras display object images, which are imaged by an imaging element, such as a CCD, onto a liquid crystal monitor. In these conventional systems, the digital camera is generally separated from the user when taking pictures so that the user can observe the liquid crystal monitor. For example, the digital camera may be positioned higher or lower than the user's viewing level, which may make it difficult to properly depress and operate operating buttons.
In response to this problem, some conventional electronic cameras include a camera body partitioned into a main body section, which houses the photographic elements and optical system, and a display section that includes the display monitor. The display monitor is attached so that it is capable of rotating around an axis perpendicular to the optical axis even if the main camera body section attached to the liquid crystal monitor is small.
FIG. 6 shows a conventional electronic camera which includes an electronic camera main body 61 and display component main body 62 which are formed as parallelepipeds having the same shape and same size and are oriented so that their side surfaces 61a and 62a abut. The main body 61 and display component main body 62 are connected by a rotating joint and thus rotate freely around an axis perpendicular to the side surfaces 61a and 62a.
An imaging element, a lens unit having a lens aperture 63 located on the side surface 61b adjacent to side surface 61a and a motor are installed inside the camera main body 61.
Inside the display component main body 62, an LCD external display device is disposed in a manner so that it is positioned on the top surface 62c. The LCD displays images output from the electronic camera main body 61 as well as menu settings and a listing of camera functions.
The conventional electronic camera shown in FIG. 6 also includes an IrDA aperture 65 which is positioned on the side surface 62b, adjacent to the side surface 62a and the top surface 62c of the display component main body 62. The IrDA aperture facilitates transmission of image information to, e.g., a personal computer and/or television and allows remote operation of/by a personal computer via standard infrared communication.
The rotating joint described earlier includes cylindrical members fixed to the centers of the side surfaces 61a and 62a and which have matched axes in a direction perpendicular to the side surfaces 61a and 62a. The cylindrical members are coupled so as to be capable of rotation. In the hollow center of the cylindrical members, a contact lead is inserted for connecting the constituent elements inside the display component main body 62 and the constituent elements inside the electronic camera main body 61. An intermittent rotating mechanism is provided in the coupled section, and the display component main body 62 and camera main body 61 can be set to the desired angle by rotating the display component main body 62 with respect to the camera main body 61.
In operation, a user holds the display component main body 62 or the electronic camera main body 61 in one hand. The lens aperture 63 can be pointed at objects above and below the user's eye level while viewing the object with the LCD display window 64 by turning the electronic camera main body 61 in the direction of the object to be imaged with respect to the display component main body 62.
When operating the electronic camera, a grip is generally formed on either the display component main body 61 or the electronic camera main body 62 in order to hold the device stabily. As shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 6, the grip section may protrude from the bottom surface 62d which is the surface opposite the top surface 62c or on the bottom surface 61d which is the surface opposite surface 61c and perpendicular to the side surface 61b on which the lens aperture 63 is formed.
In order to implement the rotatable display, additional design conditions must be considered focusing on the difficulty of operating the digital camera controls and effectively controlling vibration (e.g., due to hand shaking).
FIG. 19 shows a conventional electronic device including a display unit 42 having a liquid crystal display device (LCD) joined with an imaging unit 41 on which a shooting lens and an imaging device are positioned in a manner so that the display unit 42 rotates freely relative to the imaging unit 41. This particular device may function as a video camera or digital still camera.
This type of electronic camera permits a user to image an object while observing the object on a display screen as well as locations above or below the object in order to verify the image position.
In operation, a user supports the electronic camera by holding the imaging unit 41 with a right hand 43, and performs imaging of the object by directing the shooting lens in a desired direction.
Conventional electronic cameras generally position the display unit on a top face which is the widest surface of the camera, while the imaging unit is positioned on a side face where the palm of the right hand makes contact. This configuration makes storage difficult, particularly because the display unit and imaging unit are not rotatable relative to one another. Where the electronic camera includes a zooming function, the lens unit extends in the direction of the optical axis creating an addition to the imaging unit 41.
Conventional digital cameras, which include zoom lenses are often tall and narrow in shape or narrow and flat, like a pair of binoculars. This configuration permits all of the camera elements to be positioned in a functional manner. However, unlike binoculars, which are only for viewing objects, it is helpful to the operation of a digital camera if the display monitor can be rotated relative to the photographic optical axis.